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Thursday starts dry and locally in the south there has been a ground frost. Through the day it stays dry in most areas but patchy outbreaks of rain affect the north west. A few bright spells are likely in the south and north east, however in most places a good deal of cloud remains. 

Temperatures range from 7C (45F) in the south east to 11C (52F) in the west. See the rain radar for the latest view.

Meteo France Arpege, cloud cover, 15:00 GMT Thu 27th December

Tonight outbreaks of rain push across Northern Ireland and into western Scotland. Other regions have a dry night and in the south there could be a ground frost.

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Winter 2018/19 forecast [Issued 01/12/2018]

Buzz

Tomorrow rain clears eastwards in Scotland. Elsewhere it will be mainly dry and at times the cloud cover may break. Temperatures will be similar to today's.

Meteo France Arpege, pressure and precipitation, 15:00 GMT Fri 28th December

Weekend and the New Year

The weekend is looking more mixed. On Saturday wet and windy weather affects the northern half of the UK. High pressure keeps southern counties dry but it will windier than it has been recently. Temperatures in the south remain above the average but it turns cooler in the north.

By Sunday high pressure builds back to give mainly dry conditions, although in the north west thicker cloud could bring drizzle. Southern counties have brighter spells and it will be a mild day generally.

High pressure goes nowhere fast during the New Year period. It means there will be more dry weather, although in the north west there is a greater chance of damp conditions. Temperatures probably dip back down towards the average in early January.

GFS, pressure and 500hPa heights, 15:00 GMT Wed 2nd January

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Settled conditions are shown for much of the period. During the first week of January an increasing risk of colder conditions is shown. View latest GEFS.